Twelve Minutes
by Harryplvr31
Summary: Percy and Annabeth are ascending from the Doors of Death elevator into a battle scene. We know what Annabeth said to Percy in the first few minutes of their assent, but what about the other minutes? A one-shot featuring the best couple in the world, a very weird elevator and a glimpse at the unsettled mind of Percy Jackson.


**This idea was created from a dream I had. **

**I do not own Percy Jackson or Bob... or small Bob.**

Percy

Bob winked at Annabeth. "Hold the Doors closed on your side." he said. "They will resist your passage. Hold them-"

The panels slid shut.

No more Bob.

"Percy, help me!" Annabeth yelped.

She rammed her body against the doors and Percy followed her example. The more Percy listened to the sound of life/death wind and _if you like pinna coladas, _the sadder he felt. The only good titian and giant in the world, and he had just left them. Now he felt the full pang of his fatal flaw, loyalty. Never, ever had he felt this defeated.

"We left Bob and Damasen," he managed to say through the lump in his throat. "They'll die for us, and we just-"

"I know," Annabeth murmured. "Gods of Olympus, Percy, I know."

Percy looked at Annabeth. Her eyes were fuzzy with tears. Gaea did this. She created this twisted world where the kindest were punished the most. Bob, who was nicer than majority of the Olympians, left at the mercy of Tartarus. Damasen, who proved to be a loyal friend in the end, left to suffer at his own father's hand. And Percy had just stood there.

Not only had he just stood and gasped, but he also escaped to the mortal world. He got to see the stars and the moon and the sun, while his friends had to face torture. All courtesy of Gaea. If not for her, Bob and Damasen would never had gotten their hopes demolished. They would have never thought, "_hey, what if I do get out of here?" _only to have the tiniest hopeful thought ruined. That seemed like the worst punishment of all. Percy was so furious, he couldn't think straight. He would have let go of his side of the doors completely if not for Annabeth.

"Percy, the Doors," she warned.

He pushed on his side, furiously. Furious about this whole stupid quest. Furious towards the stupid gods and their refusal to help. Furious about the worst goddess in the world, Gaea. Furious about leaving his friends behind. Furious about almost killing Annabeth by not paying attention to the stupid Doors.

"I will kill Gaea," he muttered. "I will tear her apart with my bare hands."

Percy knew it was impossible, but the fact that Annabeth had nodded showed that she agreed. That goddess needs to go. Right then, Percy wasn't fazed by the word impossible.

"Twelve minutes," she murmured. "Just twelve minutes."

Percy thought about Bob, holding that button for twelve minutes. Now _that_ was impossible, considering that Tartarus was down there in his giant blood-and-flesh form. But Percy couldn't think of that. He calmed his nerves by looking at Annabeth, but seeing the worry in her face reminded him that she was scared, too. Percy cursed himself silently for being so self-absorbed.

"We can do this." he said. "We _have_ to."

Yeah," she said. "Yeah, we do."

Again, he was reminded that she was as terrified and as upset as he was. Poor Annabeth, she had to suffer that Athena quest only to be sucked into Tartarus with her angry, selfish boyfriend.

"Hey, you did great down there," Percy said.

"Yeah, you too," she replied.

Percy wondered what she was thinking about. Probably something dark and gloomy and depressing. Percy wanted to reach over and grab her hand, but that would kind of defeat the purpose of standing at the Door.

"Hey, what ever happens up there," he reassured her. "I just want you to know-" The elevator cabin rattled and seemed to drop a few feet before continuing its journey upward again.

_Great_, Percy thought. _ I can't even say something romantic and happy even if I try._

Annabeth sighed. "Just think, soon we'll be able to sleep in actual beds, breathe actual air and not have to rely on firewater to keep us alive."

"Yeah, what was with that? It was weird." Percy stated.

"Well, obviously. We were in Tartarus. Everything in Tartarus is twisted and demented and 'weird'", she said.

He almost laughed. Even in times of despair, she was making jokes, trying to make him feel better. He reached over to kiss her but as she leaned forward, the Doors gave a huge jolt and they had to go back to their original positions.

"Well this is a cruel and unusual punishment." muttered Percy.

She nearly smiled. "At least we don't have to hold up the sky."

Percy remembered that antaginizing, horrid pain. But if he were true to himself, losing people felt much worse.

"Hey, it's alright. We're together, aren't we?" she said, reasurringly.

_Sons and daughters. _He envisioned them in the future, married with a couple kids. No pain, no worry. It was the slimmest fragment of hope that he had to hold onto or else he would lose everything. Even if they never escaped worry, at least he could stay with Annabeth.

"Forever", he promised as they assended into life. Then he was feeling drowsy. He almost fell on the ground.

""Why-?" he started to ask.

Annabeth's eyes drooped. "It must be the oxygen levels rising. It's shutting our bodies down. We have to-" She fell a little off the wall. A fragment of the outer realm was opened.

"Gotta stay awake", Percy slurred. He pushed against the door but he could feel his body weakening. He had to stay awake, not for himself, but for Annabeth. _Stay awake_, he told himself. That wasn't helping. He had to think of the one thing that kept him alive, the one thing that kept him going. "Annabeth" he murmured, using his remaining strength to push the door.

He heard a slight _ding_ come from the elevator. He fell, but with purpose. He aimed his body near Annabeth's nearly unconscious figure. If they were going to die, he would die with Annabeth. He collapsed on top of her and thought one last thing before he became unconscious. The one name that kept him sane. _Annabeth_.


End file.
